Classroom Resources

Ideas for Program Integration into Classrooms

We feel that the programs here at High Rocks can be integrated into your classrooms at school to create a more holistic learning experience. Experiential learning is valuable because it creates an immediate, consequential application of knowledge. Bridging what happens from the classroom to the field and vice versa will make your school’s LEAP programs more effective. Following are a few suggestions for bridging the gap in between the classroom and the field.

General:

Begin a project at school that can be completed here or vice-versa.

Hold a couple of 1 hour academic “field” classes taught by your school’s faculty (being in a different environment can create a new dynamic between the teacher and student).

Create class goals during or near the end of the program for when they return to school.

For example: A lesson on trees: while they are here they can learn about different tree species. Back home they can visit a lumberyard, tree farm, a furniture factory or help build a house with Habitat, inventory trees around their house or school in order to understand the ways in which trees are used in society. These findings can be used to create an essay or project.

Create worksheets for the bus ride up or sheets that have the students research the area before they get here.

Physical fitness, significance of teamwork, rotating leadership, planning, risk-taking, trusting, can all be incorporated from most of the LEAP experiences.

Service Learning: Now that they have learned to understand and appreciate each other, find out more about their own communities through service.

Leadership diversity and reaching a common goal. How can you use your decision making processes learned here back at school on sports teams, student council/government, and class officers? Integrate how ideas may work in our local, state, and national political forma of government.

DupontForest is an area we use for almost every program. It has a wonderful geological and political history. We give some brief information during our hike; you could spend a lot of time on the political history back in the classroom. Ideas like green spaces, eminent domain, watershed protection, and public interest. Visit www.dupontforest.com for more details

English:

Create a photo essay of the program:

(6th grade) Each student has 1 or 2 disposable cameras. After taking the photos, each student puts together a photo essay of the trip along with a one-page report describing the experience.

Keep a journal starting one week before the program continuing through one week past the program. Include all thoughts, insights, discoveries, etc.

Read books that focus specifically on the culture and natural history of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Trail of Tears, Cold Mountain, and the Education of Little Tree are all great titles.